As soon as I came home from visiting my grandmother this summer, I went to see my best friend in the whole world, JJ Jones. He didn't look happy when I came to see him. I soon learned why. "Toby's missing." He frowned. "Toby?" I asked. "Is he a new kid in town?" "No, he's my dog. A puppy. I got him three days ago, and now he's disappeared." "Did he run away?" I asked. "No, somebody puppynapped him. I know who, but I can't prove it." "Who?" I asked. I loved a mystery. "Davey." "Davey? The little kid on the corner?" I asked. JJ nodded. Davey was the little kid on the block. He was only six years old. The rest of us boys, we were already seven. "Why do you think he took Toby?" "I saw him just before Toby disappeared. He was talking about wanting a dog, but his parents wouldn't let him get one. I just know he has Toby because this morning he was happy. Happy like he’d just gotten a new dog." "Did you tell Davey you have a dog?" I asked. "No, I wanted you to be the first to know, so I waited ‘til you came home." "Come on, I think I know how to find out if Davey has your dog," I said. JJ followed me down the street as I told him my plan. “Remember how I told you to ask," I said as I rang Davey's doorbell. JJ nodded. "Have you seen my friend, Toby?" he asked Davey. "Nope, sorry I haven't seen your dog ‘round here," he replied. JJ frowned and turned to leave. He thought everything was over, but I had just proven Davey had Toby. When JJ told me Toby was missing, I thought he was talking about a boy. If Davey didn't have Toby, he would have thought the same thing. "Where is he, Davey? I know you have him," I said. Davey shook his head. "I told you I haven't seen your dog." "Then how come you knew we were asking about a dog? We just asked if you'd seen Toby." Davey lowered his head. He knew he was caught. "All right. Toby's in my room, but I didn’t steal him, I found him. Mom and Dad said if no one came to claim him, I could keep him. But I guess you're comin' to claim him." "I guess I am," JJ said. Davey disappeared and then returned with a little brown puppy in his arms licking his cheek. "It was nice knowin' you, Boy." Davey handed the puppy over to JJ. Toby started licking JJ's ear. "It's good to have you back, Boy," JJ said as we walked down the street back to his house. "Thanks," he said to me. "Thanks for helping me find my friend, Toby."     ©Copyright -- Elizabeth Wrobel